


It's Just

by StarkatHeart



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 21:43:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1151125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarkatHeart/pseuds/StarkatHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's war. Things just happen, sometimes. It doesn't have to mean anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Just

Steve threw off the thin blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bed as gently as he could, trying not to wake the man still sleeping beside him. He pulled on his pants, a shirt, and socks, but it wasn’t until he put on his shoes that he realized that the other man was already awake.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked.

“If I’m not back in my bunk before—”

“I know, I know, blue discharge,” Howard said, but he looked up at Steve with his big brown eyes and a pout on his lips.

“A blue discharge  _would be bad_ ,” Steve reminded him firmly.

“It’s not dishonorable.”

“Not  _officially_ ,” Steve muttered. Howard couldn’t argue with that. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“ _Fine_ ,” he said dramatically. Steve rolled his own eyes and tied the last lace on his boots. He kissed Howard’s forehead, his dog tags clinking together between them.

“I’ll see you later,” Steve said, but as he pulled back, the other man grabbed a fistful of his shirt.

“Is  _that_  your idea of a goodbye kiss?” he asked, a lazy smile playing on those full, pink lips.

“Colonel Phillips knows,” Steve told him.  _That_  made Howard sit up pretty quickly.

“What’d he say?”

“’I can’t help you if you get caught, Rogers’,” Steve replied. “He said I’m an American symbol. That I should act like it.” Howard rolled his eyes and flopped back on the bed.

“That hard-boiled geezer doesn’t even know the meaning of ‘American’,” he scoffed.

“He’s a Colonel. I rather think he does,” Steve said, bemused.

“There’s more to the States than the army,” Howard said. He grabbed a hold of the Captain’s shirt again. “And I wasn’t kidding about that kiss.” Steve rolled his eyes and attacked the man’s mouth. This was what they were best at. ‘Dancing’, not talking, and the other man talked far too much, even if Steve did find it endearing. Steve pulled away and the other man made an indignant noise in the back of his throat.

“Now you’re just gammin’,” he said grumpily. Steve chuckled.

“Maybe. I’ll see you later,” Steve said.

“Yeah, you too pal,” Howard said. Carefully, quietly,  _discreetly_ , Steve left Howard’s room and slipped back into his bunk. If Bucky was awake, he didn’t say anything, and Steve knew his friend would never comment. It was just stress relief. Tensions ran high in wartime—was it so wrong to get a little relief? Steve sighed, rolled over, and waited for the wake-up call.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What happens when this is all over?” he asked. Steve, who was at that moment busy kissing the other man’s neck, blinked and looked up.

“What do you mean?”

“When we win—”

“ _If_  we win—”

“Pessimist—”

“I won’t jinx it!”  
  
“Fine,  _if_  we win,” Howard corrected. “What happens?” Steve, who was half on top of his lover, moved to lie beside him.

“We…we go home, I expect,” Steve said with a shrug. “Provided we’re alive.”

“And then what?” Howard asked, tracing lazy circles over Steve’s chest. “You get married to Carter and have a dozen beautiful babies? I go back to my work?”

“Your work’s probably going to take a dip when this war’s over,” Steve said. “I’d guess you’ll have your hands full trying to make it as profitable in peace time. And Agent Carter—she’s a real swell dame. You know I’m sweet on her. I thought this was just…” Steve trailed off, uncertain what to say, unwilling to see hurt in those big brown eyes.

“Yeah, it’s just,” Howard said, withdrawing his hand, looking away, up at the ceiling, and making a grab for a joint. “I was just wondering.” Steve put a hand on the other man’s arm, stopping his search.

“Do you want me to go?” Steve asked gently.

“Nah, sugar,” Howard said with a sigh. “I might not own the bottle but I can still enjoy a drink.” And he caught Steve’s lips with his own, despite the growing dread in Steve’s stomach that maybe, just maybe, he had gotten in a little deeper than he’d expected.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“You’re knocking on Hydra’s door in the morning,” Howard said.

“Yep.”

“You’re one crazy bastard, you know that right?”

“I’ve been told.”  
  


It wasn’t pillow talk (was it ever, with them?), and for once they weren’t splayed out on a mattress, but sitting in a bar.

“You’ve got your orders too, haven’t you?” Steve asked. Howard smirked.

“Civilian, Rogers. I don’t take orders. But I’ll be keeping busy,” he said. He downed the rest of his brandy.

The clock had run down. Time had run out.

“Well, I’ll see you in a few days,” Steve said. The other man just looked at him, those big brown eyes unreadable.

“Yeah. A few days from now, Captain,” the other man said, standing. They shook hands.

And that was the end of that.


End file.
